After Love, director Aleem Khan’s debut feature, is both a meditation on the colour white and a searing dissection of cross-cultural family dynamics. Khan’s penchant for juxtaposition, aided by Alexander Dynan’s provocative cinematography, sets in motion an unusual portrayal of love and loss. Set in the dual locations of Dover and Calais, Mary Hussain (Joanna Scanlan) is a stoic white Muslim woman with a unique approach to uncovering the secrets of her deceased husband’s other life. Khan’s moving tale of connection tackles heady themes of faith, womanhood and betrayal in a slow burning but sustained chronology. It may not leave you on the edge of your seat but it’s sure to linger in your mind long after the credits have rolled. The atmospheric glimpses of Dover’s famed tourist draw also leaves a tantalising alternative to the meaning of cliff-hanger.
Reviewed by Phoebe Moore